Our Story
Darknote Coffee Company, founded in the summer of 2018, was the brainchild of Oscar, a long-time Chicago native who had immigrated from South America in the early 1990s. Oscar’s wife, Gloria, shared his strong Colombian roots and a deep passion for coffee. Coffee had always been an integral part of their lives, not just any coffee, but truly exceptional coffee.
Inspired by their extensive knowledge of the coffee industry in the United States, Oscar and Gloria noticed a pressing need for a better coffee choice. They observed that roasters often blended Colombian beans with lower-quality beans and roasted them excessively high, resulting in an unpleasant coffee experience. Determined to address this issue, the couple embarked on a journey to explore coffee shops in Mexico and Colombia, immersing themselves in the Specialty coffee culture.
During their travels, Oscar and Gloria visited coffee-growing regions in Colombia, gaining valuable insights into coffee cultivation, roasting, cupping, and preparation. This knowledge allowed them to curate a unique selection of regions and coffee varieties, showcasing the best of Colombian coffee. Darknote Coffee was officially launched in Colombia under the brand DARKNOTE.
In 2022, Darknote Coffee Co., LLC was officially established in Chicago, Illinois, and underwent a rebranding to GODARK. The primary objective of this rebranding was to provide its potential customers with exceptional premium coffee sourced from a single origin. GODARK’s commitment was to ensure consistent flavors from crop to crop, thereby eliminating the need for blends. GODARK symbolizes the transformation of coffee from its seed to its roasted form and the cup it is served in.
Darknote Coffee operates entirely online, delivering locally and also available on Amazon. Their vision is to expand their reach and provide customers with unforgettable coffee experiences. By 2027, they plan to open a brick-and-mortar shop in Chicago, where they can offer their coffee in person and engage with their customers.
Darknote Coffee maintains a strong relationship with Colombian coffee growers, ensuring fair-trade prices for their specialty coffee. The company’s meticulous process involves carefully selecting coffee from farmers, transporting it to their roasting facility in Cali, Colombia, where it undergoes a second selection process. The roasted coffee is then shipped to their facility in Chicago in specially designed bags that preserve its fragrancies and freshness. Additionally, Darknote Coffee has a significant customer base in Colombia, so some of the roasted coffee remains locally. Once in Chicago, the coffee undergoes a third inspection and repackaging in bags for distribution to their customers.
Join us and embark on a journey to a coffee adventure!